Toy horse



May 29, 1923. 1,457,205

A. s. BAKER TOY HORSE Filed Dec. '17, 1921 s sheds-sheet 1 KS. Aww BH.. .YC Smm A m l May 29, 1923.

.May 29, 1923.

A. S.V BAKER TOY HORSE Filed DeC- 1'7, 1921 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ima/@nme i A. S. BAKER Affari/my VQ Patented May 29, 1923.

Limos .ANDREW S. BAKER, OF GILROY, CALIFORNIA.

TOY HORSE.

Application med December 17, 1921. Serial No. 528,115.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, ANDREWS: BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at G11- roy, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toy H oi'ses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a toy h orse or the like and has for one of its obJects to provide an occu ant propelled toy horse so thatl the chi d occupying the saddle thereof may experience the realistic motion of the galloping or loping gait of a horse.

Another object is to provide a novel steering means embodying an arrangement whereby the head of the horse is turned in the direction the occupant desires to go 'so as to lend a realistic guiding or driving feature.

A further object of this invention is to produce a device of the character described, which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings formin a part of this specification, an in whic like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the toy,

Fig. 2 is a cro sectional view,

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the head,

Y Fig. 4 is a detail View partly in section of the steering mechanism,

Fig. 5 is another detail view of the steering mechanism, and

Fig. 6 is a view in side eleyation and partly in section of the propelling mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the

numeral 1 represents thehorse, goat, camelor any other animal which it may be desirable to simulate, the same being mounted on the wheeled carriage 2 comprising the horizontal frame members 3, and the braces 4. The frame members 3 comprise a continuous metal strip bent as at 5 with its respective ends bentdownwardly at 6 to leave supports 7 for the axle 8 of the traction wheels 9. Clamped to the curve 5 of the frame is an attaching head 9 of a downwardly curved post/ 10 the extremity.- of

which comprises a fork 11 made to receive the axle 12 of the steering wheels 13 so that the axle and wheels may be turned relative to the post and frame for steering purposes. Positioned between the frame members 3 adjacent the curve 5 is a block 14 which acts as a guide and bearing support for the steering column 15 which carries at its lower extremity a transverse link 16 the same being ixedly secured to the column to turn therewith. Attached to the link is a forwardly curved rod 17 the end of which being turned down and received in a hole in the axle 12 as at 18. 1rvVith this arrangement by turning the column 15 the steering wheels may be turned. To turn the column I have mounted an oblong block 19 on the Iupper end of the column with the block standino' perpendicular and extending into the hollow of the horse so that the elongated sleeve 20` on theendl of the horses head 21 may engage the block by receiving it in the oblong shaped internal opening 22 in the sleeve. The sleeve is dropped into an opening in the shoulders of the horse so that the head is thus mounted free to be rotated by a pull or push on the metal strips 23 made to simulate the reins of the bridle 24. It now follows that the child occupying the saddle may easily steer thetoy by the reins and the head 21 will be turned in the direction that the occupant desires to turn. To correctly shape the neck of the head I use a separate block 25 at the back of the neck as shown in Figure 1. l

Propellng mechanism.

The horse is virtually supported on the carriage b y the uprights 26 the ends of which extend into the hollow of the horse and with their upper extremities made with openings through which the shaft 27 passes. The ends ofthe shaft are fixed in opposite sides of the hollow so that the horse is in fixed relation to the shaft and may thus be rocked or oscillated about the uprights, the shaft of cou'rse being free to turn in the openings in the upright ends. Each one of the rear uprights have their up er ends turned forwardly as at 28 (see Fig. 6) to meet the shaft. -Moi`inted on the shaft is a s rocket wheel 29 around which the sprocket chain 30 is passedwith the chain looped around the sprocket 31 on the axle 8 of the traction wheels.y It can now be seen that the occupant of the saddle by a Suitable forward,

ric.

and rearward rockin motion may oscillate the horse to drive tEe sprocket chain and through it impart traction to the traction wheels. The sprocket wheel 29 includes a dogging device 32 which locks the wheel to the shaft 27 in a forward direction, the dogging device being fixed to the casing 33 and made to engage the ratchet teeth 34 on the broad circumference of the sprocket wheel hub. This prevents a back drive and also leaves the horse free to be rocked back- Ward by the occupant to realize a forceful forward rocking motion.

Housed in opposite sides of the casing 34 are the take-ups 35 and 36 the same belng fixed on the shaft 27 and comprising outer drums and an inner co-axial ratchet with pawls 37 on the inside of the drums made to engage the ratchets with coiled springs (not shown) for turning the drums around the ratches in a direction permitted by the pawls. The pawl on one drum as well as the ratchet on one drum is reversed relatively to the other so as to Work in a counter manner so that the strips 38 which are wound around the drums and attached to the horse at the front and rear after passing around the pulleys 39, may act to counter balance the rocking motion of the horse.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1'. In a toy of the class described, a wheeled carriage, a toy horse or the like supported upon the carriage and adapted to be rocked back and forth thereon, a drive between the horse and the wheels of the carriage for propellin the carriage by the rocking movement of t e horse, said drive comprising a sprocket chain, a sprocket wheel on the axle of the rear wheels of the car` riage, a shaft within a hollow of the horse adapted to be oscillated by the horse, a sprocket on said shaft, said sprocket chain connecting said sprocket wheels, a doggin device for the sprocket wheel on said sha adapted to lock the same in driving relation with the ho'rse in one direction of its rotation butadapted to leave the sprocket wheel free to rotate in the shaftin an opposite direction, and spring actuated take-ups operating oppositely to one another and associated with the said drive, substantially as described.

' 2. In a toy of the class described, a

' wheeled carriage, a toy horse or the like supported upon the carriage, and adapted to be rocked backend forth thereon, a drive bememos tween the horse and the wheels of the carriage for propelling the carriage by the rocking movement of the horse, said drive comprising a sprocket chain, a sprocket wheel on the axle of the rear wheels of the carriage, a shaft within a hollow of the horse adapted to be oscillated by the horse, a sprocket on said shaft, said sprocket chain connecting said sprocket wheels, a (logging device for the sprocket wheel on said shaft adapted to lock the same in driving relation with the horse in one direction of its rotation but adapted to leave the sprocket wheel free to rotate in the shaft in an opposite direction, spring actuated take-ups operating oppositely to one another and associated with the said drive, said toy including a steering mechanism with the head of the horse free to rotate and with the steering mechanism operated through said rotatable head.

3. In a toy of the class described, a wheeled carriage, a toy horse or the like supported upon the carriage and adapted to be rocked back and forth thereon, a drive between the horse and the wheels of the carri age for propelling the carriage by the rocking movement of the horse, said toy including a steering mechanism with the head of the horse free to rotate and with the steering mechanism operated through said rotatable head, said -steering mechanism comprising pivoted steering wheels on the carriage, a steering post on the carriage, a rod connecting the steering post with the axle of the steering wheels, said steering post extending into a hollow within the horse, an oblong block on the upper end of said post, and a sleeve on the bottom of the rotatable head of the horse having an oblong shaped hollow adapted to receive said oblong block.

4. In a toy of the class described, a wheeled carriage, a toy horse or the like supported upon the carriage and adapted to be rocked back and forth thereon, a drive between the horse and the wheels of the carriage for propelling the carriage by the rocking movement of the horse, said drive comprising a sprocket chain, a sprocket wheel on the axle of the rear Wheels of the carriage, a shaft within a hollow of the horse adapted to be oscillated b the horse, a sprocket on said shaft, sai sprocket chain connecting said sprocket wheels, said toy .in-

. cluding a steering mechanism with the head of the horse free to rotate and with the steering mechanism operated throu h said rotatable head, said steering mec anism comprising pivoted steering wheels on the carriage, a steering post on the carriage, a rod connecting the steering post with the axle of the steering wheels, said steering post extending intoa hollow within the horse, an oblong block on the upper end of said post, and a sleeve on the ,bottom of the rotatable head of the horse having an oblong shaped hollow adapted to receive said oblong block.

5. In a toy of the class described, a wheeled carriage, a toy horse or the like supported upon the carriage and adapted to be rocked back and forth thereon, a drive between the horse and the wheels of the carriage for propelling the carriage by the rocking movement of the horse, said drive comprising a sprocket chain, a sprocket Wheel on the axle of the rear wheels of the carriage, a shaft Within a hollow of the horse adapted to be oscillated by the horse, a sprocket on said shaft, said sprocket chain connecting said sprocket Wheels, a dogging device for the sprocket Wheel on said shaft adapted to lock the same in driving relation. with the horse in one direction of its rotation but adapted to leave the sprocket wheel free to rotate on the shaft in an 'opposite direction, said toy including a steering mechanism with the head of the horse free to rotate and with the steering mechanism voperated through said rotatable head, said steering mechanism comprising pivoted steering'wheels on the carriage, a steering post on the carriage, a rod connecting the steering post with the axle of the steering wheels, said steering post extending into a hollow Within the horse, an oblong block on the upper end of said post, and a sleeve on the bottom of the rotatable head of the horse having an oblong shaped hollow adapted to receive said oblong block.

ln testimony WhereofvI affix my signature.

ANDREW S. BAKER. 

